Exploring the Use of Cognitive & Meta-cognitive Strategies in Written Test Performance:

Abstract

The present study seeks to explore the students’ use of cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies in written test performance. To reach such an aim, the researcher has devised two questionnaires for both teachers and students to collect data for this study. The first questionnaire was administered to sixty master one students at the department of English Language who were chosen randomly. It aims to identify the cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies that master one students use in written tests. The second one was administered to thirty-six language teachers at Guelma University to find out whether they are aware, and if they try to raise their students’ awareness of the previously mentioned strategies. The obtained results have proved that students do apply various types of cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Also, the majority of teachers are unaware about the usage of cognitive and meta-cognitive processes by test-takers and its efficacy in high quality writing production. Therefore, the researcher ended up by recommending some suggestions and pedagogical directions for both students and teachers in order to increase the importance of the aforementioned strategies for better writing outcomes in tests and exams.